Fox dec izxs



lMarch 22, 1955 F. E. CURTIS 2,704,509

SELECTION MEANS IN ADDRESS TYPE PRINTING MACHINES Original Filed Feb: 24, 1949 8 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 22, 1955 F. E. CURTIS 2,704,509

SELECTION MEANS IN ADDRESS TYPE PRINTING MACHINES original' Filed Feb. 24, 1949 s sheets-sheet 2 226 I Russen. cumon smncnn c een 699 232 25o f/ lee fg. 2 235 n i xm) da QYX mm2 nomua mzu 22 /f l Ta numna sea y%.Av w anu: me n 226 I 222A [LDU \JAH so se u ron oec 1945 un GW* 208 TD5 sooo un n n Russe. curl oN srnmaen C 6675 699 23484-07/225 2833 CNAPLIN s1' l 36.23

COST To A. P n WMILINQ w yA.

/M/ff/W :kton-225s March 22, 1955 F. E. CURTIS 2,704,509

SELECTION MEANs 1N ADDRESS TYPE PRINTING MACHINES original Filed Feb. 24, 1949 a sheets-sheet 5 fg. 5 ,Dsl

annue: L rAusunsAcn c 6677 |19 22o 221 1259 LLISHMAH AV! X 56.78 5.560685 uw unsmafou PA 215.

comm-uu urna. :xc-5663142 AS UNIIMAIIED Wim 0l HINT LITTERAI- mm |2545 55,530,686 er 34 l NEWTON 8T MASS JACK SKEHS XC-364126 zum cuncurlnb 90 I 25 55,580,759

v P ffy 7 s 3 567.59 55,580,846

RUSSEL CL|NTN SPRINGER C 6678 699 zen cunm s1' 890. l2 55,580,049 1 WHEELING W- VA March 22, 1955 F. E. CURTIS SELECTION MEANS IN ADDRESS TYPE PRINTING MACHINES Original Filed Feb. 24, 1949 v8 Sheets-Sheet 4 March 22, 1955 F. E. CURTIS 2,704,509

SELECTION MEANS 1N ADDRESS TYPE PRINTING MACHINES VMmh 22, 195s FL E. CURTIS 2,704,509

SELECTION MEANS IN ADDRESS TYPE PRINTING MACHINES Original Filed Feb. 24, 1949 8 Sheets-Sheetl 6 ,4 (n 45s 4ass 19A l 819B V* I LJ; 4

, l l [4 n. 514A l 778 71s g ala @1x :8f m

' l l l?) I l A :si l5 M i March 22, 1955 F. E. CUR-ns 2,704,509

SELECTION MEANS IN ADDRESS TYPE PRINTING MACHINES Original Filed Feb. 24, 1949 8 Sheets-Sheet '7 March 22, 1955 F. E. CURTIS 2,704,509

SELECTION MEANS IN ADDRESS TYPE PRINTING MACHINES Original Filed Feb. 24. 1949 8 Sheets-Sheet 8 PRINT on TAB sKlPon TAB No SELECTION l k T n A Ns x. A 'r c n j PRINT n slur *Awww MAcmH: TRANSLATB I Y f, 25 /A/l/W/@ A froze/vf Ys United States Patent -O SELECTION MEANS 1N ADDRESS TYPE PRINTING MACHINES Franklin E. Curtis, deceased, late of Willoughby, Ohio, by Edith D. Curtis, admiuistratrix, Willoughby, Ohio, assigner to Addressograph-Multigraph Corporation, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware Original application February 24, 1949, Serial No. 78,205.

Divided and this application November 29, 1951, Serial No. 258,867

Claims. (Cl. lOl- 58) This application is a division of the copending application of Franklin E. Curtis, Serial No. 78,205, led February 24, 1949, now patented as Patent No. 2,656,103, issued October 20, 1953.

This invention relates to printing machines and particularly to printing machines for producing business instruments from and under control of individual printing and control devices that are passed one by one through the machine.

In the production of checks, bills and like business instruments that involve money amounts, it has been found to be advantageous to utilize individual printing and control devices for the printing of the changeable data included in the successive business instruments, and since such printing and control devices may bear coded representations of numerical amounts, it is also advantageous to utilize such coded data representations for controlling the printing of money amounts on such business instruments. The primary object of the present invention is to facilitate such use of printing and control devices in the production of business instruments, and a further and related object is to afford sensing and selector means which enable this to be accomplished in such a way that proof sheets may be concurrently produced showing the changeable data and the money amounts included in such individual business instruments.

Where individual printing and control devices are passed through a machine for the production of business instruments, the numerical or money amounts that are to be produced in printed form on the individual business instruments are governed by the coded data representations included on such printing and control devices, and a further object of the present invention is to afford sensing and selector means which enable such data representations on individual printing and control devices to concurrently govern and set up all of the printing and other means which are to produce numerical data on the individual sheets as well as on the proof sheets.

In the operation of machines of the aforesaid character where selector mechanism is employed, the operation of such selector mechanism is to prevent operation of mechanisms such as the platen of the machine where a printing device is to be skipped, and a further object of the present invention is to simplify the attainment of such controlling operations.

In printing machines of the aforesaid character in which selector mechanism has been used, it has been the usual practice to sense the identifying means of the printing and control devices in the cycle preceding the cycle in which the printing operation is to take place, and where it has been necessary to utilize such printing and control device to perform more than one printing operation, it has been necessary either to perform all of such printing operations in the next machine cycle, or to afford storage mechanism whereby to preserve the results of the selector operation until the subsequent cycle in which the additional impression is to be made from the printing and control devices. In view of the `foregoing, it is a further object of the present invention to enable the sensing operations in respect to each printing device to be accomplished in the same cycle in which the rst printing operation is to take place with respect to such printing device, thereby to simplify the operation and control of printing machines of the kind to which the present invention relates. More specifically it is an object of the present invention to enable printing 2,704,509 Patented Mar. 22, 195,5

icc

and control devices to be sensed insofar as the identifying means thereof may be concerned in a first portion of a particular machine cycle, and to thereafter move the printing device to a first printing station where the printing operation is controlled in accordance with such sensing operation, and at the saine time to set up the controls that are to be effective in the next machine cycle wherein the printing device will be advanced to another printing station. Related objects are to enable the sensing of the identifying means for selecting purposes to be accomplished in such a way as tomaterially simplify the setting up of related variable printers, punches and the like, and to accomplish this in such a way that the selector-control action on successive printing operations in respect to each printing and control device are materially simplified.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which, by way of illustration, show a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the principle thereof and what is now considered to be the best mode in which to apply that principle. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principle may be used and structural changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a machine embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of a printing and control device of the nature passed through the machine illustrated in the accompanying drawings;

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic View illustrating the code in accordance with which perforations are afforded in the printing and control device shown in Fig. 2 to afford representations of numerical amounts;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of a typical sheet printed in the machine shown in the accompanying drawings, tllllis 1sheet in the present instance being in the form of a c ec Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are fragmentary elevational views showing different forms of proof sheets and totals imptrli'nted thereon in the course of operation of the mac me;

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional detail view taken along the guideway through which the printing and control devices are advanced through the machine and looking toward the left as the machine is viewed in Fig. 1;

9 is a sectional view taken along the line 9--9 on Fig. l() is a fragmental plan view of one of the positioning pawls;

Fig. l1 is a fragmentary detail view of a portion of the mechanism illustrated at the left hand end of Fig. 8 and drawn to a larger scale than Fig. 8;

Figs. 11A, 11B, 11C and 11D are sectional views taken substantially and respectively on the lines 11A-11A, 11B-11B, 11C-11C and 11D-11D on Fig. l1;

Fig. 11E is a sectional View taken along the line 11E- 11E of Fig. 11D;

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of the guideway through which the printing and control devices are advanced through the machine and showing a part of the sensing mechanism adapted for cooperation with the printing and control devices;

Fig. 13 is also a fragmentary detail plan view of the arrangement shown in Fig. 12 but from which the sensing head has been eliminated;

Fig. 13A is a detailed view of a guide element included in the structure of Fig. 13;

Figs. 14 and 15 are sectional detail views taken substantially and respectively on the lines 14-14 and 15-15 on Fig. 12;

Fig. 15B is a sectional detail view taken substantially on the line ISB-15B on Fig. l5;

Fig. 16 is a view in part taken transversely of the guideway through which the printing and control devices are advanced through the machine and showing elements of a selector mechanism embodied in the machine;

Figs. 17, 18 and 19 are detail views taken substantially and respectively on the lines 17-17, 18-18 and 19-19 on Fig. 16;

Fig. 18A is a top plan view taken along the line 18A- 18A on Fig. 16;

Figs. 20 to 23, inclusive, are schematic views showlng control disks employed in the selector mechanism employed in Fig. 16; and

Fig. 24 is a schematic View showing the selector switches and the similar timing switches.

General description For purposes of disclosure, the invention is herein illustrated as embodied in a printing and computing machine 200, Fig. l, which is fully illustrated and described in the aforesaid parent application, and whereby sheets S, Fig. 4, in the form of card checks bearing both printed data and perforations representative of related numerical data may be produced from and under control of printing and control devices D that are passed one by one through the machine 200, and concurrently with the production of individual sheets S, proof sheets PS-l, PS-2 or PS-3, shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, respectively, are produced so that the information and related numerical amounts included in the individual sheets S that are produced are printed on the various proof sheets, together with appropriate totals.

The machine 200 illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings comprises two separately related main units 201 and 202, and a supplemental paper supply unit 203 that is also separably related to the units 201 and 202. The main unit 201 includes the primary printing mechanisms of the machine, while the unit 202 includes punching, printing, and accumulating mechanisms that are operated primarily from and under control of the printing devices D that are passed through the main printing unit 201 of the machine.

The sheets S are supplied to the various printing and punching mechanisms of the machine from a supply magazine CM that is located at the right-hand end of the unit 202, and sheets S are fed one by one to the left in Fig. 1 and through a sectional sheet guideway that includes a first section SG-l extending along the top of the unit 202 and an aligned sheet guideway SG-2 that extends along the top of the unit 201, so that the sheets S, after passing the full length of the sheet guideway sections SG-l and SG-2. are discharged from the left-hand end of the guideway SG-2 and onto a collecting stacker mechanism K shown in Fig. l of the drawings.

As such sheets S move along the guideway SG, they are brought to rest rst at a printing and punching station 205, Fig. l, such printing and punching station being located on the top of the unit 202. At this printing and punching station 205, identical numerical amounts are represented on the sheet S by a printed impression 206, Fig. 4, and by coded perforations 207, Fig. 4, and this numerical amount that is thus printed and punched on the sheets S is derived from a related printing device D that has been sensed in this same machine cvcle at the sensing station of the machine. and from which printing and control device D, a printed identifying impression 208 that may take the form of a name and address, is to be thereafter printed when the particular sheet S reaches a printing station 210 that is afforded along the sheet guidewav SG-2 on the unit 201 of lrhe machine.

The printed impression 206 is formed on the sheet S by a first variable printer that is located in the unit 202 as shown and described in the aforesaid parent application, and this variable printer is of the same general construction as the variable printer disclosed in Figs. 37 to 90 of the application of Walter T. Gollwitzer, Serial No. 676,329, iiled June l2, 1946, now issued as Patent No. 2,501,444, patented March 21, 1950. This first variable printer includes an accumulator mechanism whereby totals of the numerical amounts set up on the variable printer -1 may be accumulated, and such totals may be printed as on the proof sheets PS-1 to PS-3 by a second variable printer that is included in the unit 201 and is set up under control of the variable printer VP-l, as described in the aforesaid parent application.

As will be evident in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the first variable printer includes a platen P-l that is disposed over the sheet guideway SG-l so that the platen P-1 may be normally disposed in an elevated position to permit the desired movement of the sheets S along the sheet guideway SG-1, and yet this platen P-l may be moved downwardly to serve as a backing member 1n the course of the production of the printed impression 206, as described in detail in the aforesaid parent application.

The data representing perforations 207 are f ormed 1n the sheets S at the station 205 by a punching unit PU and this punching unit is substantially similar in most respects to the punching unit shown in the copending application of Walter T. Gollwitzer, Serial No. 587,579, iiled April l0, 1945, now issued as Patent No. 2,570,112, patented October 2, 1951, and reference may be had to such copending application for details of form and construction as well as for details of operation. It should be pointed out that this punching unit PU includes a plurality of selectively operable punches arranged in a plurality of orders, the punching mechanisms in certain of such orders being adapted for manual setting movement while the punching mechanisms in other of the orders are adapted to be automatically set up from and under control of data representations carried by the printing and control devices D, as will hereinafter be explained.

At the same time that the printed numerical impression 206 is produced by the iirst variable printer and the coded perforations 207 are formed by the punching unit PU in the sheet S at the printing and punching station 205, additional numerical data is represented on the sheet S by perforations 211 that are formed by the manually settable mechanism in the punching apparatus as described in detail in the copending parent application.

The printing devices D are supplied to the machine 200 from a magazine M located near the rear edge of the main unit 201, and these printing devices are advanced one by one in a forward direction toward the printing station 210, and in such movement, each printing device D comes t0 rest at a sensing station 212, Fig. 8, at which sensing station 212 numerical representations carried by the printing device D are sensed by a sensing head SH, shown for example, in Figs. 8, l1, 12 and 15, so as to control the operation of the unit 202 in producing the printed impression 206 and the coded perforations 207 on the sheet S. Each printing device D is then advanced to a printing station 214, Fig. 8, at which printed impressions 215 are made on the proof sheet, as PS-1.

The printed impression 215 is formed at the proofing station 214 by the action of a platen mechanism P-2 which, as shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings, is in the form of a roller platen mechanism that moves across the proofing station 214 parallel to the lines of embossed characters carried on the printing and control devices D. This platen mechanism P-2 is carried on a rigid printing frame 216 that is arranged so as to extend upwardly near the rear edge of the machine and then to extend forwardly so as to be disposed over the printing stations 214 and 210. The printing device D then advances in the same cycle to printing station 210 where the impression 208 is made in this cycle on the sheet S, such impression 208 being made from the embossed type characters 208-A on the printing device D. In producing such impression 208, the machine affords a platen P-3 that is shown, for example, in Fig. 8 of the drawings. This platen P-3 as herein illustrated, is of the stamper type and is carried on the rigid printing frame 218 forwardly of the platen P-2 and is, of course, disposed over the sheet guideway SG-2 at the printing station 210. Such printing device is thereafter advanced to a collecting mechanism.

The proof sheets as PS-l are produced in a pager and proofer mechanism 218, this mechanism being supported on the printing frame 216 above and forwardly of the printing station 210, and paper is supplied to the pager and proofer magazine from a plurality of rolls R located rearwardly of the unit 202 on the paper supply unit 203. The webs W of paper from the several rolls R are threaded and guided through the machine near the bottom of the unit 201, and are then guided upwardly to the pager and Iproofer mechanism 218 through a diable mechanism 219,

When an impression 215 is made from a printing device D at the prooling station 214, the numerical amount that is printed at 206 on a related sheet S when such related sheet S is at the station 205, is also printed on the proof sheet at 220 in association with the related impression 215, and this numerical amount that is thus printed at 220 is printed by the second variable printer mechanism which is set up concurrently with the variable printing mechanism VP-l which produces the impression 206 and the punchingmechanism which produces the perforations 207. At the same time, at the proofing station 214, a serial number 221 is printed by a numbering machine, this serial number 221 being printed on the proof sheet PS-l in association with the identifying impression 215. This serial number 221 is also closely associated on the proof sheet PS-1 with the numerical amount impression 220, as will be evident in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

In the production of the numerical amount impression 220 and the serial numbering impression 221, a backing action is afforded by a platen that described in said parent application and which is disposed over the proofing station 214 and which is carried on the rigid printing frame 216.

A similar serial number 222 is printed on the corresponding sheet S, as will be evident in Fig. 4 of the drawings, and this serial number is printed by a numbering machine that is described in said parent application. At the same time, a secondary impression 222A, which may include the date and other pertinent information of a reoccurring character, is made on the sheet S adiacent to a serial numbering impression 222, as described in said parent application.

Similarly, at the printing station 210, an identifying number in the form of an impression 223, Fig. 4, is made on the sheet S, and this impression is made on the sheet S by a manually settable numbering machine as described in said parent application. At this same time, other reoccurring data may be printed adjacent to the impression 223, as at 223A, Fig. 4, and this supplemental impression thus may be made by an embossed printing plate carried on the mounting block of the manually settable numbering machine. The identifying number 223 is in the nature of a group identification which remains the same on a larger number or group of sheets S.

The printing device D The machine 200 that is herein illustrated is adapted particularly for use with printing devices D of the character shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings and as will be evident in Fig. 2. This printing device D comprises a fiat carrier 225 of the general type shown in Gollwitzer Patent No. 2,132,412, dated October ll, 1938. This carrier 225 is formed from sheet metal and is generally rectangular in form, and on its upper face the carrier 225 has a plurality of retaining devices 226 whereby a plurality of printing plates and cards may be removably held in place on the upper face of the carrier. In the present instance, two embossed printing plates 227 and 228 are provided, and on these two plates 227 and 228, embossures are afforded for printing the identifying irnpressions 215 and 208 on the proof sheet PS-l and the sheet S, respectively. Near the upper edge of the carrier 225, a movable index card 229 is held in position by certain of the retaining devices 226, and this index card 229 may carry a portion of the identifying text that is afforded by the embossures 208A. Between the index card 229 and the uppermost printing plate 228, a control area or field 230 is afforded in which coded datarepresenting perforations 231 may be formed, and as herein shown, such data-representing perforations are formed in accordance with the five element numerical code illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The five index positions of such code are arranged in a series of vertical columns as will be evident in Fig. 2, and perforations 231 may be made in these index positions so as to represent numerical amounts that are to be printed in association with the impression made from the embossed identifying data 208A carried by the printing device D.

Since the numerical amounts that are thus to be printed under the control of the perforations 231 may change from time to time, the retaining devices 226 on the printing device D may be utilized to retain the covering element over the field 230, thereby to enable the represented numerical amount to be changed merely by changing or substituting such covering member. In the present instance, this covering member takes the form of a card 232 which may constitute an index card upon which the2 represented numerical amount may be printed as at 33.

The numerical amount that is thus represented by perforations 231 in the field 230 is sensed by the sensing head SH, Fig. 8, when the printing device is in the sensing station 212, Fig. 17, and in order that proper sensing operation may be assured, the printing device D has a locating notch 234 formed in one end edge thereof as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

ln the instances where printing and control devices D are utilized to produce printed sheets or documents such as the sheet S and the proof sheet PS-l, it often happens that it is desirable to produce a sheet S from only selected ones of the printing devices D that are passed through the machine, and as will hereinafter become apparent, the present machine is adapted to so operate under the control of identifying means carried at one or more of a plurality of identifying positions afforded on the printing device. Thus, in the form illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the printing device D has a plurality of mounting positions disposed along the upper edge thereof to selectively receive identifying means in the form of tabs 236, and the production of a sheet S from any particular printing device D may be controlled by selector mechanism in accordance with the presence or absence of a tab at 236 at any selected position along the upper edge of the printing device D, as will hereinafter be described.

The sheet feeding mechanism The sheets S, being afforded in the present instance in the form of card checks, are arranged to be fed into the right-hand end of the sheet guideway SG-l by means of a card picker or shuttle mechanism which is, of course, arranged directly beneath the supply magazine CM. The desired card feeding movements of the card picker are controlled in accordance with the selector mechanism of the machine so that a card or sheet S is discharged from the magazine CM only when a printed and perforated sheet S is to be produced.

When a card or sheet S is thus discharged to the left from the magazine CM, it passes into the bight of a feed-roller couple 270 that is located in association with the sheet guideway SG-l so that the sheet is advanced to the left along the sheet guideway SG-1 and toward the printing and punching station 205. The advancing movement of the sheets S along the guideway SG-l is attained through the successive action of a plurality of feed-roller couples, generally similar to the feed-roller couple 270, and the arrangement is such that the card or sheet S passes from one to the other of these feedroller couples as the sheet moves along the sheet guideway SG-l.

In the course of the advancing movement of the sheet S along the sheet guideway SG-l, such sheet cornes to rest at the printing and punching station 205, and this is accomplished by means of a stop finger means. This stop finger means is arranged to be controlled in timed relation to the operation of the first variable printing unit and the punching unit PU, and this is accomplished by means including a control cam shaft that is driven in timed relation with the first variable printing unit as described in said parent application.

To the left of the first variable printing unit, two additional feed-roller couples are provided, these feed-roller couples being in spaced relationship so that the final feed-roller couple acts to discharge the sheets from the sheet guideway SG-l and into the sheet guideway SG-2, where the driving or advancing function is taken over by belt and skid roller means that are afforded in the unit 201 of the machine as described in said parent application. As the card is advanced along the sheet guideway SG-Z it is brought to rest at printing station f 210 by stop finger means that are constructed and operated as described in the aforesaid parent application. Whiie the card S is at rest at printing station 210, a printing operation may be performed to produce the printed impression 208 as well as other of the printed impressions as described hereinbefore. After such printed impressions have been made at the station 210, the stop finger means release the card S for further advancing movement and discharge into the collector K.

The drive mechanism The complete driving and control means for the machine are, of course, shown and described in detail in the aforesaid parent application, but for present purposes it will be sufficient to point out that constant drive is imparted to various elements of the machine including a gear box 390, Fig. 11, which includes a shaft 396 that is constantly driving from such drive source. The shaft 396 has a cam sleeve 411 loosely mounted thereon, and is described in the aforesaid parent application, this cam sleeve 411 is operated through one revolution each time a printing and control device D is to be advanced. Such one revolution operation of the cam sleeve 411 is effected by a one revolution clutch that derives its power from the constantly driven shaft 396. The cam sleeve 411 has cam means thereon for driving the printing device feeding means as well as the packer mechanism. Such cam means are arranged to operate with a cooperating rocker 471, Fig. 8, that has arms 471A and 471B extending in a diverging relation, and the arm 471A has a cam roller 472A xed thereon so as to engage one element of such cam means. The rocking lever 471 is carried on a mounting sleeve 473 that surrounds the shaft 380. The lever 471 has its arm 471B formed so that it extends rearwardly so that a cam roller 472B engages another element of the cam means. This relationship is such that one element of the cam means actuates the rocker 471 in a counter-clockwise direction, Fig. 8, while another such element actuates the rocker 471 in a clockwise direction, and thus the movement of the rocker 471 is positive in both directions. Such positive rocking movement of the rocker 471 is utilized as will hereinafter be described to operate the printing device feeding mechanism and the related packer mechanism.

The mounting shaft 473 also carries a rocking plate 475, and a cam roller 475A on the rocking plate 475 is arranged to engage the forward edge of a cam means that is also xed on the sleeve 411, and such cam means are effective to rock the plate 475 in such a way as to enable the desired cycle of timed movement to be imparted by such plate to the plate positioning pawls that are associated with the printing device guideway, as will hereinafter be described.

In addition to the various cams just described, the sleeve 411 also carries a cam 480 that is utilized to effect the desired sensing operation of the sensing head SH. This cam 480 is arranged to be engaged by a cam roller 431 carried on the forward end of a lever 482 that is fixed on a mounting shaft 483. The cam roller 481 is urged toward engagement with the cam 480 by spring means that are associated with the sensing head SG, as will hereinafter be described, and the motion of the arm 482 is transmitted in an equalized and balanced manner to the sensing head SH by a pair of vertically extending links 485, one of which is pivoted at 486 to the rearwardly extended end of the lever 482, and the other of which is similarly connected to a similarly projecting arm fixed to the shaft 483 at an appropriate point thereon.

The printing device feed The printing devices D are customarily stored in suitable drawers or the like when not in use, and when these printing devices are to be fed through the machine, they are introduced into the magazine M in the manner disclosed, for example, in Gollwitzer Patent No. 2,002,773, patented May 28, 1935. The magazine M comprises four upright substantially L-shaped corner members, such L-shaped figuration affording in each of the strips an arrangement adapted to embrace a corner of each of the printing members stacked in the magazine M. The lowermost printing device D in the magazine M is withdrawn from the magazine and advanced through the printing device guideway through the intermediary of reciprocable carrier bars, as will be described presently.

The guideway through which the printing devices are thus advanced comprises two rails 701 and 702 which are suitably secured to mounting bars of the main frame of the machine and which extend from front to rear across the machine in parallel relation one with the other. The rails 701 and 702 have carrier bars 706 slidably mounted in their upper inner corners, as described in the aforesaid parent application, and these carrier bars 706 have sets of pawls mounted thereon so that in reciprocating movement of the carrier bars 706, the printing devices D will be advanced in a step by step manner from one station to another along the printing device guideway.

The carrier bars 706 have a reciprocatory movement imparted thereto through the intermediary of the arrangement illustrated in Figs. 8 and ll. Thus, it will be seen that each carrier bar has a rack 709 formed on its lower axis and these racks are meshed with pinions 711 that are tixed on a rock shaft 710. This shaft 710 extends transversely through rails 701 and 702 and is rotatably supported therein.

In order to reciprocate the carrier bars 706, it is necessary to impart rocking or rotative movements to the shaft 710 and for this purpose a segmental gear 713 is mounted on a bearing plate 714A that extends upwardly from the side plate 702. The segment 713 includes an arm 715 between end of which a link 716 is pivotally connected. Reciprocatory movement is imparted to the link 716 from the rocker 471 that is included in the drive mechanism as hereinbefore explained, and is shown in Fig. 8, the lower end of the link 716 is pivoted at 716P on the rocker 471. Teeth 717 are provided on the segment 713 and these teeth mesh with a pinion 718 that is secured to the shaft 710 outwardly of the rail 702. Desirably, the pinion 718 is of a smaller diameter than pinions 711 so that when reciprocatory movement is imparted to the segments 713 from the link 716 and this is in turn transmitted through the teeth 717 to the pinion 718, the pinions 711 will be effective to transmit accelerated motion to the carrier bars 706.

By referring to Fig. 8, it will be seen that a plate 737 is secured to the inner face of the retaining plate 708 and this plate has a curved surface 738 provided on the upwardly and forwardly disposed edges thereof, the curved surface 738 being arranged to merge into the upper face of the anvil 736. Another plate 739 is fast to the inwardly disposed face of the plate 708 and has a rearwardly disposed formed surface 740 thereon. The space between the surfaces 738 and 740 affords a throat 741 into which the marginal edge of a printing and control device is advanced when the pawl 735 and its cooperating pawl in the carrier bar 705 engage the rear edge of a printing and control device that has been disposed on the anvil 736 so that during the course of the advancing movement of the carrier bars, the printing and control device that has been disposed on the anvil 736 passes through the throat 741 to be collected with other printing and control devices that have passed through the machine in a manner to be explained presently. It will be understood that plates similar to the plates 737 and 739 are provided on the inner face of the other retaining plate to afford a throat and similar to and aligned with the throat 741.

During the time the printing and control devices come to return on the anvils 726, 734 and 736, operations are performed thereon as will be explained more fully hereinafter. It has been found to be advantageous to accurately locate and positively retain the printing devices disposed on the anvils 726, 734 and 736 during the time operations are being performed thereon.

The mechanisms which are effective to bring about such accurate positioning and rm retention of the printing and control devices D cooperate with the notch 234, Fig. 2, that is provided in a marginal edge of each of the printing and control devices. Briey, the notch as 234 is of substantially V-shaped configuration for a purpose that will be explained presently.

By referring to Fig. 8, it will be seen that brackets 742, 743 and 744 are secured to the outer face of the rail 702 and a shaft 745 is journaled in bearings afforded in these brackets. An arm 746 is fastened to the shaft 745 and the upper end of a link 747 is pivotally connected to the free end of the arm 746. The desired reciprocatory movement is imparted to the link 747 by pivotally connecting the lower end of the link 747 to the rocking plate 4.75, Fig. 8, so as to thereby rock the shaft 745. A spring 7478 acting upwardly on the link 747, as shown in Fig. 8, sorves to hold the cam roller 475A in engagement with its operating cam.

As best shown in Figs. 8 and ll, a plate 748 is mounted on the shaft 745 adjacent to the bracket 742 and this plate extends across the outer face of the rail 702. The plate 748 is aligned with the anvil 726. Similar plates 749 and 750 are mounted on the shaft 745, respectively, in alignment with the anvils 734 and 736.

The sensing means A printing device advanced from the stack thereof in the magazine M onto the anvil 726 is disposed in sensing station 212 when the printing device comes to rest on this anvil 727. While the printing and control device is disposed in this position, the sensing head SH now to be described in detail cooperates with the printing device D disposed at station 212. The sensing means which is to cooperate with a printing and control device as D at the station 212 includes a plurality of groups of sensing pins that are adapted for cooperation with perforations as 231 that are formed in the card 232 and the underlying data field 230 on the frame 225 of the printing and control device as D. The sensing means also includes sets of pins that are adapted for cooperation with tabs as 236 that may be removably secured to the frame 225 of a printing and control device as D at selected or predetermined positions along one edge thereof as, for example, in the manner disclosed in Gollwitzer Patent No. 2,132,412, patented October 11, 1938.

As best shown in Figs. 12, 14 and 15, the sensing means includes the sensing head SH that is mounted between the rear ends of the arms 776 and 777. As best shown in Figs. 11, 11A and 11C, by pivotal mounting indicated at 778 on the plates as 714A respectively secured to the rails 701 and 702, the arms 776 and 777 are maintained in predetermined spaced apart relation by a spacer 778. Adjacent the pivotal mounting 778 of each of the arms as 776 and 777, a bracket 779 is provided which is pivotal about a screw 780, Fig. 11C. An opening 781, Fig. 11A, is formed in another arm of the bracket 779 and a screw 782 freely passes through this opening 781 and is tapped into the adjacent arm as 777 by loosening the screw 782. The arm as 777 may be pivoted relative to the bracket 779 and the pivot 7 78 to thereby impart slight longitudinal movement in one direction or the other to the arm 777 to thereby enable the position of the sensing head SH to be adjusted along the extent of the printing and control device guideway. In order that the sensing head SH may be adjusted transversely of the printing and control device guideway, the arrangement best shown in Fig. 11B is provided. The arrangement shown in Fig. 11B is that associated with the arm 777 but it will be understood that a similar but reversely directed arrangement is associated with the arm 776. A bracket '783 depends from the arm 777 and a screw 784 is passed through a tapped opening in the lower portion of this bracket to have the head thereof adjacent thereof with the face of the rail 702. The lock nut 784A is provided on the screw 784 and cooperates with the adjacent face of the bracket 783 to hold the screw 784 in adjusted position. By varying the position of the screw as 784 relative to the face of the rail as 702 and simultaneously adjusting the corresponding parts provided for the arm 776 to cooperate with the outer face of the rail 702, the arms 776 and 777 and, therefore, the sensing head SH may be adjusted transversely of the printing and control device guideway. The purpose of these longitudinal and transverse adjustments will be explained presently.

As best shown in Fig. l5, the sensing head SH includes an upper head as 785 which has lugs as 785A depending from the rear end thereof that are pivotally connected as indicated at 785B to brackets as 785C provided at the rear ends of arms as 776. In this way the head 785 is supported for pivotal movement relative to the arms as 776 to which other portions of the sensing head 785 are fixedly connected.

By referring to Fig. 2, it will be seen that the data field 230 of the frame 225 of the printing and control device D affords a field whereat perforations may be formed in selected positions, such potential positions being shown in broken lines in Fig. 2 and wherein also the perforations of such potential positions are indicated in full lines. It will be noted that transversely across the printing and control device as illustrated in Fig. 2 where the numerical amounts are to be represented by perforations formed in the card 232 and the underlying portion of the data field 230 of the frame 225 of a printing and control device, each set of five perforations longitudinally across the printing and control device may be devoted to an order of numerical amounts to be represented. In the present instance the two sets of potential positions whereat perforations may be formed along the right-hand edge of the printing and control device are not utilized but perforations may be selectively formed in any or all of the next succeeding five sets of perforations toward the left as viewed in Fig. 2. Also, when numerical amounts are to be represented, perforations are formed in the card 232 and through the underlying potential perforation position in the data field 230 in accordance with the code shown in Fig. 3. Thus, when the number 1 1s to be represented, a perforation is formed in the lowermost of the potential positions as these are viewed in Fig. 2 and also in the uppermost of such positions. If the number 2 is to be represented, a perforation is only formed in the lower portion of the position. By referring to Fig. 3, it will be seen where the openings are thus formed in the various sets of perforations either singly or in pairs to effect representations of the other significant digits. In the event a space appears in the order of a number to be represented then no perforation is formed in the potential positions.

ln the present instance where perforations may be formed in any one or all of the five sets of perforations in potential positions in the data field 230 of a printing and control device as D, the sensing head SH is equipped with sensing pins. These sensing pins are located in the sensing head in such position that one such pin will be aligned with and will be free to pass through an opening formed at a particular one of the potential positions in the data field 230 of the printing and control device as D. Hence, the sensing pins are arranged in sets of five and in Fig. 15 is shown one such set of pins, these pins being indicated by the reference character 786. The pins as 786 and the various sets thereof are mounted in plates as 787 and 788 that are secured to and extend between the arms 776 and 777, the plate 787 being arranged along the upper edges of the arms 776 and 777 while the plate 788 is disposed in recesses formed in the lower edges of the arms 776 and 777 as best shown in Fig. 15. Openings as 789 are formed in the plate 785 at each position whereat a pin as 786 is to be disposed and openings as 790 are formed in the plate 778 respectively in alignment with the openings as 789. Thus, each pin as 786 is mounted in and extends through an opening as 789 and another opening as 790. Collars as 791 are formed on each of the pins as 786 and springs as 792 are disposed about each pin as 786 to extend between the lower face of the plate 787 and the upper face of the collar 791. Thus the springs 792 are effective to force the pins 786 outwardly beyond the lowermost face of the plate 788.

When a printing and control device is disposed at station 212 and in a manner to be described presently, the sensing head 775 is moved downwardly toward the printing and control device disposed at station 212. As to those of the pins 786 which are aligned with a potential perforation position in the data field 230 on the printing and control device D whereat a perforation is not formed with a corresponding and aligned perforation in the card 232, it will be noted that the lower end of this particular sensing pin engages the upwardly disposed face of the card 232 and as shown in Fig. 15 further movement of such a pin with the sensing head SH is arrested so that each such pin is forced upwardly against the effect of the spring 792 disposed thereabout. However, as to those 0f the pins 786 which pass through a perforation in the card 232 and an underlying perforation at one of the potential positions in the data field 230 in the printing and control device at the station 212, it will be observed that these pins advance on through the printing and control device at the station 212 for a purpose now to be described.

As best shown in Fig. 15 a bracket as 793 is detachably secured to the inner face of the rail 701 and a corresponding bracket is similarly secured to the inner face of the rail 702. A plate 794 is secured to the upper face of the horizontally disposed portion of the brackets as 793 to extend between the rails 701 and 702. Openings as 795 are formed in the plate 794 at each of the places whereat a sensing pin as 786 may pass through aligned perforations in the card 232 and the underlying portion of the data field 230. Thus, as shown in Fig. l5 where the sensing head SH is shown in its lowermost operative position, those pins as 786 which pass through perforations in the card 232 and the data field 230 move into the underlying opening 795. Pins as 796 have enlarged heads at the upper ends thereof respectively disposed in the opening 795. Collars as 797 are provided on each of the pins 796 below the plate 794 and also below a plate 798, Figs. l5 and 15A. As best shown in Fig. 15A, the plate 798 has a plurality of slots 798A formed therein which extend inwardly from one edge of this plate. Each set of pins as 796, one such set being shown in Fig. 15, is respectively adapted to be disposed in a slot as 798A. A plate 798 is suitably secured to the underface of the plate 794. The disposition of the pins as 796 in the slots as 798A limits the downward movement of the head of the pins as 796 in the openings as 795.

Studs as 799 depend from the underface of the plates 798 and 794 and support a plate 800. Openings as 801 are provided in the plate 800 in such position that one of the pins 796 extends through each such opening. Springs as 802 are respectively disposed about the pins 796 to extend between the upper face of the plate 800 and the lower end of the collar 797 on the particular pin 796. The springs 802 force the pin 796 upwardly, such upward movement of the pins being1 limited by engagement with the upper face of the collar 797 and with the lower face of the plate 798.

A plate of insulating material 803 is mounted at the lower ends of the studs as 799. Openings 804 are formed in the plate 803 in such a manner so that each opening 804 is aligned with a pin 796. Contact bars as 805 are respectively disposed in the openings as 804. Each contact bar 805 has a groove as 806 formed therein and pins as 807 extend through openings across the block 783 so that each pin 807 engages all the contact bars 805 in a set thereof, such a set of contact bars corresponding to a set of pins as 786 and 796. As best shown in Fig. 15B, the pins 807 either engage in grooves as 806 and adjacent pins 807 or in a groove as 806 and in a cooperating recess formed in an adjacent part of the block 803. By withdrawing the pins 807 from the block 803, kthe contact bars as 805 may be withdrawn from this bloc As best shown in Fig. 15B when the pins 796 are disposed in their normal at-rest position with the upper edge of the collar 797 thereon engaging the under face of the plate 798, each pin 796 is spaced from its cooperating contact bar 805. However, when a pin as 796 passes through aligned perforations in the card 232 and the underlying portion of the data eld 230, such pin passes into the aligned opening 795 and presses the pin 796 therein downwardly. Such downward movement of a pin as 796 into engagement with a contact bar as 805 establishes an electrical circuit, the pins as 796 being mounted in metallic elements and, therefore, being grounded while the contact bars as 805 are mounted in the block of insulating material 803 so that in effect the engagement of a pin 796 with its cooperating contact bar as 805 grounds this particular contact bar, and such grounding of a contact bar as 805 closes an electrical circuit for a purpose described hereinafter.

As is Well understood in the art, the heads of the tabs as 236 in the printing and control device D, Fig. 2, may either be what are known as whole tabs, half tabs or perforated tabs. Thus, as disclosed in Hueber Patent No. 2,359,851, patented October 10, 1944, each tab may take the form of a full tab, a notched tab, or may be formed with perforations in the head of each tab as 236 in any one of four different positions. Customarily, twelve sockets of the nature disclosed in Patent No. 2,132,412 are provided along the edge of the printing and control device whereat tabs as 236 are to be secured to thereby afford twelve different positions whereat tabs as 236 may be secured. Where resort is had to whole and half tabs, each of these twelve tab receiving positions affords twenty-four selecting positions as the operative portions of the faces of the heads of the tabs 236 are commonly called. When the arrangement is such that a perforation may be formed at any one of four different positions in the head of a tab, the positions are aligned with each other along the parallel edge of the printing and control device D and in such an arrangement twentyfour selecting positions are afforded by the perforations in one such row thereof and when two such rows are provided, forty-eight selecting positions are provided. In order that the selector head SH may be arranged to be responsivey to forty-eight selecting positions, openings as 808 are formed in the plate 787 adjacent the forwardly disposed edge thereof, there being two rows of twentyfour openings as 808 provided in the plate 787. Openings as 809 are formed in the plate 788 and these openings 809 are respectively aligned with the openings as 808 in the plate 787. A pin as 810 is mounted to extend through each opening 808 and its aligned. opening 809, these pins including headed upper ends which normally rest up against the upper face of the plate 787. Two grooves as 811 are formed in the upper face of the block 794 and when the sensing head SH is moved to its lower position shown in Fig. 15, the free lower ends of the pins as 810 may pass into one or the other of the grooves 811, one such groove being respectively aligned with each set of twenty-four pins.

When no tab as 236 is provided at a particular position or when half of a tab is cut away in alignment with a pin as 810 adapted to cooperate with the cut away portion of the tab or when an opening is formed in the head of a tab as 236 in alignment with a pin as 810 adapted to cooperate therewith when a printing and control device D is disposed at the station 212, the free ends of the pins as 810 may pass into the grooves as 811. When, however, the lower end of a pin as 810 engages the face of a tab downward movement of such pin with sensing head 785 is interrupted and consequently in the course of continued downward movement of the sensing head 785, the head of the pin engaged with the face of the tab acts on the ange 81.2 on the member 785 so that the member 785 pivots about the pivot 785B therefor in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 15.

While openings as 808 and 809 are respectively formed in the plates 787 and 788 to be respectively aligned with each of the potential selecting positions, it is often desirable to eliminate pins as 810 so that only predetermined of the various potential selecting positions will be effective. This is accomplished by mounting pins as 810 in aligned openings 808 and 809 in position to cooperate only those selecting positions that are to be eective. Moreover, while the arrangement shown in the accompanying drawings is one that enables utilization of fortyeight selecting positions, it will be understood that the arrangement is such that resort may be had to a fewer number of such selecting positions merely by omitting pins as 810. Furthermore, if desired, arrangement can be made to provide accommodation for a third row of pins as 810 so as to thereby increase the number of potential selecting positions to sixty.

By refering to Figs. 12 and 15, it will be seen that the member 785 consists of two sections 812 and 813, the brackets as 785A being secured to the section 813. The section 812 includes a part which extends beneath the part 813 and pins as 814 and 815 are fast in this portion of the member 812 near the inwardly disposed edge thereof. These pins respectively extend through slots as 814A and 815A formed in the section 813 to thereby support the part 812 for sliding movement relative to part 813. A slot 816 is formed in the part 812 between but forwardly of the slots 814A and 815A. A stud 816A extends through the slot 816 and has a pin 816B thereon at the lower edge thereof. A plate 817 is secured to the inner face of the part 812 and has a cam surface formed on the downwardly disposed face thereof. The stud 816A includes a head 818 that rests against the upper part of the face 813. A handle 819A is secured to the head 818 and when this handle is disposed in the position shown in Figs. 12 and 15, the pin 816B engages the high part of the cam surface on the plate 817 and this is effective to clamp the part 812 to the part 813. However, when the handle 819A is grasped and rotated through a angle as viewed in Fig. 12, the part 812 is unclamped from the part 813, whereupon the part 812 may be moved toward the left as viewed in Figs. 12 and 15. In the course of such movement, the ange 812 is moved out of alignment with the openings 808 thus disclosing these openings. When the openings 808 are thus disclosed, a pin 810 may be inserted into an opening 808 and the aligned opening 809, or such a pin may be removed from such a set of openings by selectively disposing pins as 810 in openings 808 and cooperating openings 809, and the pins 810 may be disposed to be aligned with those of the potential selecting positions that are to be effective in the course of operation of the machine.

When the upper part 785 of the sensing head SH pivots about the pivotal mounting as 785B thereof as an incident to the engagement of a pin 810 with the face of a tab on a printing and control device D disposed at the station 212, this counter-clockwise movement as viewed in Fig. 15 of the part 785 is transmitted through the arm 819A, Figs. 1l and 12, to cause this arm to move in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 11. A link 819B is connected to the arm 819A at the free end thereof and the aforesaid movement of the arm 819A in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 11 is effective to move this link 819B upwardly for a purpose to be described hereinafter.

As has been explained hereinabove as an incident to operation of the printing and control device advancing means, a reciprocatory movement is imparted to the link 785 from the cam 780 against the effect of the spring 485A which is normally effective to hold the follower 482A against the periphery of the cam 480. The dwell of this cam is so arranged that it is normally effective on the links 485 to hold the sensing head SH in its lowered operative position shown in Fig. 15. The upper ends of the links 485 are respectively and pivotally connected to the arms 776 and 777 as indicated at 485B, Figs. 11 and 12. When in the course of operation of the printing and control device advancing means, a printing device disposed at station 212 is to be advanced from this station and the lowermost printing and control device in the magazine M is to be advanced into the station 212, the cam 480 is effective through the links as 785 to move the Sensing head SH upwardly so as to thereby withdraw the pins as 786 and 810 from cooperation with a printing and control device at the station 212. This upward movement of the sensing head SH is initiated prior to the time advancing movement is imparted to the carrier bars 705 and 706 so that the pins 786 and 810 are free of the printing and control device at the station 212 prior to the time advancing movement is imparted to this printing and control device by the carrier bars 705 and 706. However, once a printing and control device has been withdrawn from the magazine M and advanced into the station 212 by the carrier bars 705 and 706, the sensing head SH may be lowered into the operative position thereof shown in Fig. 15 so as to thereby bring the pins 786 and 810 into cooperation with related parts on the printing and control device at station 212 with which these pins are respectively adapted to cooperate.

Inasmuch as it is important that a face-to-face relation be maintained between the arms 777 and 778 and the link 785 connected thereto, an arrangement like that shown in Fig. 11B is provided in each of the arms 785. This arrangement consists of an adjusting screw as 784B, Fig. 11, which cooperates with the adjacent face of a rail as 702 in the manner and for the purpose described hereinabove with reference to the adjusting screw 784. Thus, when the transverse position of the sensing head 785 is adjusted through the intermediary of the adjusting screws as 784B and in this way a flat face-to-face relation is maintained between the links as 785 and the adjacent faces of the arms 777 and 778.

It will be understood that the hereinabove described longitudinal and transverse adjustments that may be effective to the sensing head SH are for the purpose of insuring alignment of the pins as 786 and 810 with the parts of a printing and control device disposed at station 212 With which these pins are adapted to cooperate.

The data set-up mechanism controlled by the sensing head SH The sensing head SH in sensing the numerical data represented by the perforations 231 in the printing and control devices D is arranged to control the closure of a plurality of switch mechanisms that include the pins 7-97 and 80S, Fig. 15, as hereinbefore described, and these switches that are thus afforded are arranged in groups of five with each group allocated to a particular order of the numerical data as represented by a particular vertical column in the data representing field 230.V The conductors from such switches are arranged in corresponding groups and these conductors are extended into the unit 202 of the machine so that these conductors may serve as energizing circuits for electrically operated set-up means which is arranged to control the set-up mechanism of the first variable printer.

Selector mechanism and related timing elements As pointed out hereinabove, the gear 440 in the main gear box 390 is driven in timed relation to the operation of the printing device feed mechanisms, this gear 440 being driven from the sleeve 411 which is in turn controlled by the printing device feed clutch. As shown in Figs. l1, 16 and 19 of the drawings, a selector unit 1519 is afforded that includes a timing shaft 1520 supported rearwardly of the main gear box 390 at substantially the level of the shaft 420 upon which the gear 440 is mounted, and a gear 1521 xed on the timing shaft 1520 and of the same diameter as the gear 440 is meshed with the gear 440 so that the timing shaft 1520 will be rotated through a single revolution each time the printing device feed mechanism is operated. This timing shaft 1520 is utilized not only in the main timing functions of the machine, but also is utilized for timing the operation of switches that form part of the selector mechanism 1519 of the machine. Thus, it will be observed that the shaft 1520 is supported by means including a bracket 1522 that extends rearwardly from the machine frame, and outwardly or rearwardly of the shaft 1520, a stationary pivot shaft 1523 is supported by means including the bracket 1522. This pivot shaft 1523 serves as a mounting for a plurality of rocker arms 1524 that extend forwardly and have cam rollers 1525 at their forward ends arranged to bear on related timing cams that are carried on the timing shaft 1520, and springs 15248 urge the levers downwardly so that the rollers 1525 cooperate with such cams. In Figs. 36, 126 and 129, three such switches 1526, 1527 and 1528 are mounted on three adjacent arms 1524, and those three switches are utilized in the selector mechanism 1519 of the machine, as will hereinafter be described in detail.

In addition to the switches 1526, 1527 and 1528 which form part of the selector mechanism, switches 1529, 1530, 1531, 1532 and 1533, that are shown only in Fig. 24 of the drawings, are mounted on similar arms 1524 and cooperate with cams on the main cam shaft 1520. Thus, each cam on the cam shaft 1520 is identified by the same reference character as the related switch with the letter C added in each case. The additional timing switches are shown in the partial wiring diagram of Fig. 24, and the controlling actions thereof will be described in detail hereinafter in connection with the description of the operation and control of the machine.

In respect to the three switches that form part of the selector mechanism 1519, it will be observed that each lever 1524 has an upward extension that is identified by the same reference character as the related switch, but with the letter A added, and such upward extensions are shown in Figs. 11 and 16. At the upper end of each such arm, a lateral finger 1534 is provided as shown in Figs. 1l and 18A, and this lateral finger 1534 has a forwardly projecting tooth 1535 thereon as shown in Fig. 18A. Such tooth 1535 is in each instance quite narrow, and this tooth is adapted for cooperation selectively with the edge of any one of three control disks, such as the three control disks included in the group identified as 1538 in Fig. 18A of the drawings. Three such groups 1536, 1537 and 1538 of control disks are afforded, and these groups are allocated, respectively, to the arms 1526A, 1527A and 1528A, as will be evident in Fig. 16. The three groups of disks that are thus afforded are mounted on a selector shaft 1540 that is mounted in a horizontal position and for rocking as Well as longitudinal setting movement in an inverted U-shaped bracket 1541. The shaft 1540 is adapted to be set in any one of three longitudinal positions as determined by a latch member 1542 that is loosely pivoted on the right-hand end of the selector shaft 1540 as shown in Figs. 16 and 18. The latch 1542 is urged toward its engaged p0- sition by a spring 1543, and this tends to engage the latch 1542 with one of three positioning notches 1544 that are formed in a stationary latch plate 1545, Fig. l7. When the latch 1542 is in its right-hand position of Fig. 16, the machine is set for what is termed print-tab operation, and the left-hand control disk of each of the groups is aligned with the tooth 1535 of the related extension, as 1526A. The central one of the two positions on the latch plate 1545 is what is termed the skip-tab position, and this aligns the central disks of the several groups with the related teeth 1535. When the latch 1542 is engaged with the lefthand one of the notches 1544 of the latch plate, the shaft 1540 is set in such a position that a selector mechanism is turned off, and the right-hand disks of the several groups are aligned with the respective teeth 1535. When the selector is set in its off position, the left-hand end of the shaft 1540 engages an operating arm 1548 of a control switch 1549 that is included in the control circuits of the machine in a manner that. is described in the aforesaid parent application.

The several control disks that are mounted on the shaft 1540 take different forms, as illustrated in Figs.

and 22 of the drawings, and the basic purpose of such disks is to serve as a dominating control governed by the sensing head SH and regulating the response of the switches 1526, 1527 and 1528 to the action of their related cams. Thus, it will be observed that these cams, which are shown in detail in Fig. 23, have cam recesses or notches at different positions along their periphery, and the periphery intermediate or adjacent such notches affords one or more land surfaces, so that when these recesses or notches come into alignment with the related cam roller 1525, the related switch will tend to rock downwardly so as to bring the operating plunger thereof into engagement with an opposed adjustable abutment 1551 that is afforded in a stationary horizontal mounting bar 1552 that is disposed beneath the several switches and between the shafts 1520 and 1523 as shown in Fig. 1l of the drawings.

In attaining the desired dominating controlling action in respect to the three switches of the selector mechanism 1519, the right-hand disk of each group of control disks has an annular outer edge surface which at any point in its periphery serves as an abutment for the opposed tooth 1535 so that the switches of the selector mechanism can not be closed, even through the cams 1526, 1527 and 1528C continue their operation. When the selector is in its off setting and the right-hand disks are in position opposite the respective teeth 1535, this action prevents closure of any one of the switches of the selector mechanism. As shown in Figs. 20, 21 and 22, the aforesaid right-hand disks of the several groups are identified as 1536N, 1537N and 1538N.

The central disks of the three groups are identified as 1536s, 15378 and 15388, while the left-hand disks are identified as 153613, 1537P and 1538P, and these disks are provided with notches and dwell surfaces at appropriate angular points around their edges so that a desired selecting action may be attained, as will now be described. The selecting action is attained by rocking or indexing movement of the selector shaft 1540, and this is attained through the action of the supplemental sensing head 785, and in the sensing action of the supplemental sensing head 78S, the movement of the sensing head is transmitted to the selector shaft 1540 by the arm 819A and the link 819B, the link 819B extending downwardly and having a rack 1556 formed on its rear edge so as to engage the forward edge of a pinion 1557 that is fixed on the selector shaft 1540. A spring 1558 acts on the link 819B to urge the same in a downward direction, and when one of the sensing pins 810 engages a tab on the printing device at sensing station, the action of the sensing means is such that the link 819B is withdrawn in an upward direction, and this imparts clockwise rotating or indexing movement to the selector shaft 1540.

The extent of this clockwise movement of the selector shaft 1540 may vary in accordance with the length of the sensing pin 810 that is effective in the sensing operation, and in this regard, attention is directed to the aforesaid Hueber Patent No. 2,359,851, wherein the use of sensing pins of varying lengths is described in detail. Thus, when the sensing head 785 does not sense a tab, the several control disks will be moved in a clockwise direction for approximately 81/2 to what may be termed position I, wherein the line marked with the reference character I in Fig. 20 will be in the horizontal plane of the dot-dash line 1560. When a tab is sensed by a normal length sensing pin, the control or selector shaft 1540 will be rotated t0 what may be termed position II, wherein the line marked by the reference character II in Fig. 20 will be in the horizontal plane of the dot-dash line 1560. Similarly, when a tab is sensed by a long sensing pin, the selector shaft 1540 will be moved to what may be termed position III wherein the line marked with the reference character III in Fig. 20 will be in the horizontal plane of the dot-dash line 1560.

In order that such rotative settings of the selector shaft 1540 may attain the desired selecting control, the control disk 1536P has a dwell or land surface at position II and has recesses or notches 1561 at positions I aud Ill, respectively. Similarly, the control disks 1537P and 1538P have dwell or land surfaces in positions I and III and recesses or notches 1561 in po- 16 sition II. The control disk 1536S has a dwell or land surface in position I and has an elongated recess or notch 1561 that extends throughout positions II and lll thereof. Control disks 1537S and 1538s are of the same form and have a recess or notch at position I and dwell or land surfaces at positions II and III.

It will be evident that with the control disks formed in the manner disclosed in Figs. 20, 2l and 22, the different settings of the selector shaft 1540 will attain different selecting actions, as described in the aforesaid parent application.

Summary From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the present invention simplifies and facilitates the sensing and selecting operations in printing machines, in particular it will be apparent that the selector mechanism that is afforded is one which the settable selector is simple and effective in character.

Thus, while the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that this is capable of variation and modification, and therefore it is not desired to be limited to the precise details set forth, but to be free to utilize such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a printing machine of the kind through which printing and control devices, each adapted to bear identifying means at one or more selected identifying positions thereon, are adapted to be passed one by one to printing and sensing stations in the machine, sensing means comprising a sensing head for sensing such identifying means at a sensing station in said machine, and selector mechanism under control of a sensing head and comprising a timing shaft having a plurality of timing cams thereon, a plurality of switches adapted to be closed under control of the said respective timing cams, control arms associated one with each of said switches and each having a projecting finger thereon, a selector shaft mounted for rocking movement and for axial movement to a plurality of different operating positions, a plurality of groups of control disks allocated one group to each of said arms, and mounted on said selector shaft, the disks of each group being adapted to be selectively disposed opposite the finger of the related control arm by axial adjustment of said selector shaft, said control disks having differently arranged notches and lands on the edges thereof for movement into the path of said finger, and means operated by said sensing head for imparting rocking movement to said selector shaft in accordance with the sensed presence or absence of identifying means in selected position on such printing devices.

2. In a printing machine of the kind through which printing and control devices, each adapted to bear identifying means at one or more selected identifying positions thereon, are adapted to be passed one by one to printing and sensing stations in the machine, sensing means comprising a sensing head for sensing such identifying means at a sensing station in said machine, and a selector mechanism under control of said sensing head and comprising a timing shaft having a plurality of timing cams thereon, a plurality of switches adapted to be closed under control of the said respective timing cams, control arms associated one with each of said switches and each having a projecting finger thereon, a selector shaft mounted for rocking movement and for axial movement to a plurality of different operating positions, a plurality of groups of control disks allocated one group to each of said arms, and mounted on said selector shaft, the disks of each group being adapted to be selectively disposed opposite the finger of the related control arm by axial adjustment of said selector shaft, said control disks having differently arranged notches and lands on the edges thereof for movement into the path of said finger, means operated by said sensing head for imparting rocking movement to said selector shaft in accordance with the sensed presence or absence of identifying means in selected position on such printing devices, and further control switch means operable from a normal position to an actuated position and means operated by said selector shaft in one of its axial positions to move said further control switch means to its actuated position.

3. In a printing machine of the kind through which printing and control devices, each adapted to bear identifying means at one or more selected identifying positions thereon, are adapted to be passed one by one to sensing and printing stations in the machine, sensing means comprising a sensing head for sensing such identifying means at said sensing station, and selector mechanism under control of said sensing head and comprising a timing shaft having at least one timing cam thereon, switch means adapted normally to be closed under control of said timing cam, a control arm associated with said switch means and having a projecting finger thereon, a selector shaft mounted for rocking movement and for axial movement to a plurality of different operating positions, control disks mounted on said selector shaft and adapted to be selectively disposed opposite the finger of said control arm by axial adjustment of said selector shaft, said control disks having differently arranged notches and lands on the edges thereof for movement into the path of said finger in the course of rocking movement of said selector shaft, and means operated by said sensing head for imparting rocking movement to said selector shaft in accordance with the sensed presence or absence of identifying means in selected positions on such printing devices.

4. In a printing machine of the kind through which printing and control devices, each adapted to bear identifying means at one or more selected identifying positions thereon, are adapted to be passed one by one to sensing and printing stations in the machine, sensing means cornprising a sensing head for sensing such identifying means at said sensing station, and selector mechanism under control of said sensing head and comprising a timing shaft having at least one timing cam thereon, switch means adapted normally to be closed under control of said timing cam, a control arm associated with said switch means and having a projecting tinger thereon, a selector shaft mounted for rocking movement and for axial movement to a plurality of different operating positions, control disks mounted on said selector shaft and adapted to be selectively disposed opposite the finger of said control arm by axial adjustment of said selector shaft, said control disks having differently arranged notches and lands on the edges thereof for movement into the path of said tooth in the course of rocking movement of said selector shaft, means operated by said sensing head for imparting rocking movement to said selector shaft in accordance with the sensed presence or absence of identifying means in selected positions, on such printing devices, and further control switch means operable from a normal position to an actuated position and means operated by said selector shaft in one of its axial positions to move said further control switch means to its actuated position.

5. In a printing machine of the kind through which printing devices, each adapted to bear identifying means at one or more selected identifying positions thereon, are adapted to be passed one by one to sensing and printing stations in the machine, sensing means comprising a sensing head for sensing such identifying means at said sensing station, and selector mechanism under control of said sensing head and comprising a timing shaft having at least one timing cam thereon, switch means adapted to be closed under control of said timing cam, a selector shaft mounted for rocking movement and for axial movement to a plurality of different operating positions, means for locking said shaft in any selected axial position, control disks mounted on said selector shaft and adapted to be selectively disposed opposite an effective position by axial adjustment of said selector shaft, said control disks having differently arranged notches and lands in angularly spaced positions on the edges thereof, means operated by said sensing head for imparting rocking movement to said selector shaft in accordance with the sensed presence or absence of identifying means in selected position on such printing devices, and means associated with said switch and adapted to cooperate with the disk in said effective position to dominate the controlling action of said cam iiil lfficcordance with the rotative setting of said selector s a t.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,934,934 Lorant Nov. 14, 1933 2,035,695 Elliott Mar. 31, 1936 2,132,413 Gollwitzer Oct. 11, 1938 2,134,284 Keefe Oct. 25, 1938 2,200,751 Krieger May 14, 1940 2,320,836 Tauschek June 1, 1943 2,359,857 Hueber Oct. 10, 1944 2,367,395 Gollwitzer Jan. 16, 1945 2,421,078 Mueller May 27, 1947 2,427,049 Gollwitzer Sept. 9, 1947 2,562,232 Braun July 3l, 1951 2,562,249 Wockenfuss July 31, 1951 2,570,112 Gollwitzer Oct. 2, 1951 2,577,070 Cheney Dec. 4, 1951 2,591,128 Brougham Apr. 1, 1952 

